As Israel's assaults on Lebanon entered its 12th day on Sunday, civilian and military casualties on both sides are mounting and the risk of a major humanitarian crisis is looming larger.

At least three people were wounded as Israel pounded Hezbollah's stronghold in Sidon of Beirut on Saturday and destroyed a Shiite building and Israeli troops ousted Hezbollah fighters from another stronghold in a hilltop village.

Earlier, Israeli warplanes hit television and mobile phone antennae in Lebanon, and Israeli troops entered villages in southern Lebanon under the cover of heavy artillery and tank fire, urging residents of 14 villages in the area to leave.

Meanwhile, Israel is building a detention center for holding Hezbollah gunmen to be captured in the imminent battles in Lebanon.

However, the military said no full-scale offensive had been prepared for now.

Also on Saturday, Hezbollah fired some 40 rockets at towns in northern Israel, wounding 16 people. The guerillas also attacked an Israeli military base near the Israeli border with Lebanon earlier, wounding one Israeli soldier.

Up to now, Israel's assault has killed 355 people, most of them civilians, and Hezbollah's attacks claimed 34 Israeli lives. Thousands of foreigners have been evacuated from Lebanon

The confrontation between the two sides was triggered after the Lebanon-based Hezbollah kidnapped two Israeli soldiers and killed eight others in a cross-border attack on July 12.

As the fighting is going on, the international community is engaged in a flurry of diplomatic activity aimed at achieving an immediate ceasefire between the two sides and defusing a looming humanitarian catastrophe.

UN humanitarian chief Jan Egeland on Saturday criticized the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah and said Lebanon was suffering a major humanitarian crisis due to the "senseless war."

Egeland, UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs who was in Cyprus on his way to Lebanon to launch an emergency aid appeal, condemned both Israel and the Lebanon-based militia group Hezbollah for a looming humanitarian catastrophe.

Terming the ongoing conflict "a senseless war," Egeland urged both sides to stop it and complained of the difficulties of bringing emergency humanitarian aid into Lebanon.

U.S. President George W. Bush said on Saturday that he had directed Secretary of State Condeleezza Rice to travel to the Middle East to discuss the "best ways" to resolve the crisis between Israel and Lebanon with leaders in the region.

Rice was scheduled to leave for the Middle East after meeting with Bush and Saudi officials at the White House on Sunday.

She was expected to meet with Israeli and Palestinian leaders in Jerusalem and the West Bank, and attend a meeting in Rome, Italy, with representatives of European and moderate Arab governments.

French Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy on Saturday condemned Israeli aggression against Lebanon as well as Hezbollah's attacks on northern Israel.

He underlined the necessity of intensifying efforts to avoid further deterioration, calling for a cease-fire and a full implementation of the UN Security Council Resolution 1559 under which Hezbollah militia should be disarmed.

Jordan's King Abdullah II joined the French minister in calling for an immediate ceasefire between the two sides.

Russia will provide humanitarian aid for Lebanon at its request via Cyprus, Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Yakovenko said on Saturday.

A planeload of water supplies, sanitary equipment, medicines, energy supplies, food and logistic support, will leave for Cyprus on Monday.

Meanwhile, about 1,400 Canadians gathered in Montreal on Saturday to protest the Israeli bombing of Lebanon, and many others were also holding demonstrations in Ottawa, Vancouver and Toronto against Israel's military campaign.

The protesters chanted "Israeli assassin" and denounced Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper as an "accomplice" for refusing to put pressure on Israel to accept a ceasefire.

Similar protests were also organized in some European countries including Britain, France, the Netherlands and Poland.